Despite repeated warnings and adverse provisions under Jharkhand Treasury Code, officials of the State Government kept Rs 3329.95 crore meant for developmental works idle in Personal ledger Accounts. The CAG report for the year ended March 2015 also mentioned that the practice took turn for better but briefly.
“The closing balance under Pl Accounts continuously increased during the year 2011-12 and 2012-13 whereas it decreased during the year 2013-14. During 2014-15, it increased again to Rs 3,329.95 crore (28.2 per cent) over the previous year,” says the report. Data related to the transactions under different heads of civil deposits for 2014-15 revealed that there were 99 Pl accounts in the State as of March 31, 2015.
Closing balance of Pl accounts puts the figure at Rs 1,727.14 crore in 2010-11 that grew to Rs 2,193.14 crore, Rs 2,954.43 crore, Rs 2,597.50 crore and Rs 3,329.95 crore in subsequent years thereafter.
As per Rule 300 of Jharkhand Treasury Code, money should not be withdrawn from treasury unless it is required for immediate payment. Further, Rule 552 of the Code states that all balances unclaimed for more than three complete account years shall, at the close of March in each year, be credited to the Government.